How do disruptions in brain circuitry shape our sense of purpose? What happens to the drive to pursue goals when depression or anxiety take hold?

Dr. Michael Treadway is a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, where he leads research on the neural mechanisms of motivation, decision-making, and mood disorders. With a background spanning neuroscience, computational psychiatry, and clinical research, his work bridges the lab and the clinic—seeking to understand how brain systems involved in reward and effort are disrupted in conditions like depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

In this conversation, we dive into Dr. Treadway’s groundbreaking research on “effort-based decision making”—why some people struggle to pursue meaningful goals even when they want to. He explains how mood disorders can hijack our brain’s motivational circuits, making everyday tasks feel disproportionately hard, and how this impacts our sense of agency and hope. We also explore philosophical questions: What does it mean to live a meaningful life? How should science engage with these subjective, value-laden experiences?

Whether you're interested in neuroscience, mental health, or the nature of purpose, this episode invites a rethinking of how we define—and support—human flourishing in the face of psychological suffering.